Newsletter - September 2026


 

🌟Arkansas Public Transportation Conference 🌟

⏰ Early-Bird Registration Ends TODAY — September 15!

Join us October 12–14 in North Little Rock for the 2026 Arkansas Public Transportation Conference!


✅ Already registered? You should have received a confirmation email. If you registered but did not receive confirmation, please contact Rebecca East at reast@arktransit.org.


🔥 Pass the Torch Monday – Succession planning & next-generation leadership

⚾ Free Dickey-Stephens Park Tour

🤝 Vendor Reception & Expos

🎟️ Trade Show & Door Prizes

🍕 Sunday Night Social at US Pizza

🍦 Annual Fish Fry with Loblolly Creamery + live music

🌟 Sponsorship Opportunities Still Available!🌟

There are still opportunities to sponsor an event at the 2026 Arkansas Public Transportation Conference! If your organization would like to participate but prefers to share a sponsorship with another company, that’s an option too!


👉 Click here to view sponsorship opportunities and become a sponsor!

🌟 ATA Member Spotlight: Arkansas Enterprises for the Developmentally Disabled 🌟

On August 25, Arkansas Enterprises for the Developmentally Disabled (AEDD) celebrated the grand opening and ribbon cutting of its new Community Housing home in Argenta! ATA Communications Coordinator Rebecca East was honored to join AEDD and community partners for this special occasion.


Brandon Hartsell, Director of CES Waiver Services with AEDD, shared:

“We are extremely excited about providing new housing and employment opportunities in the Argenta area for those challenged with disabilities. We look forward to becoming a productive and positive addition to the fast-growing area.”

Congratulations to AEDD and everyone who helped make this new home possible. ATA is proud to spotlight the meaningful work our members are doing to make a difference in communities across Arkansas!


📣 Want your agency featured in an upcoming ATA Member Spotlight? Let us know! We’d love to showcase your agency and the great work you’re doing in your community.

ATA Welcomes Ashley Kimbrell to Board of Directors

ATA is pleased to welcome Ashley Kimbrell, SEAT Program Director for the Area Agency on Aging of Southeast Arkansas (AAASEA), to the ATA Board of Directors! Ashley will serve as Position #5 – Paratransit Service/Elderly Representative.


Ashley has 13 years of public transportation experience, beginning her career with AAASEA in 2013 and advancing through several roles before becoming Program Director for Southeast Arkansas Transportation (SEAT).


Ashley oversees SEAT’s rural public transportation and Medicaid non-emergency transportation programs throughout southeast Arkansas, with a focus on providing safe, reliable, and accessible transportation. A lifelong southeast Arkansas resident, Ashley is passionate about the important role transportation plays in independence, health, and quality of life—especially for older adults and individuals with disabilities.


Welcome to the ATA Board, Ashley! We look forward to helping you serve Arkansas’s public transportation community!

Upcoming Conferences

📍 October 4–7, 2026

APTA TRANSform & EXPO

Chicago, Illinois


📍 October 12–14, 2026

Arkansas Public Transportation Conference

North Little Rock, Arkansas


📍 October 23-26, 2026

Arkansas Development Disabilites Provider Association

Jonesboro, Arkansas

Resources

  • AAAs Respond to Complex Community Needs: Trends and New Directions from the National Survey of Area Agencies on Aging
  • Transit Core Competencies Curriculum from Transit Workforce Center
  • Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Public Transit
  • Report on Attracting Frontline Transit Workers from Transit Workforce Center

More Upcoming Webinars


  • 9/17 -  AI Procurement in Transportation
  • 9/17 - Practical De-escalation Strategies for Transit Professinals
  • 9/22 - From Mobility to Connection: Transportation Strategies to Strengthen Social Connectedness of Older Adults and People with Disabilities
  • 9/23 - Random Pool and Selections: FTA D&A Training Special Topics Seminars
 
 

About | Membership | Training | Resource Center | Drug & Alcohol Consortium | Worker’s Comp Trust | Conference

Arkansas Transit Association

 
 

620 West Broadway Street North Little Rock, AR 72114

877-372-8904

501-372-8900

Facebook